The famous football animated story “Captain Tsubasa”, known in the Arabic version as “Captain Majid”, was released for the last time on Thursday in Japan, 43 years after it was first released, but its maker does not intend to abandon its characters completely.
Japanese manga author Yoichi Takahashi wrote on Wednesday on his account on the “X” platform, “Now that I have finished drawing the last episode of the series, I feel relieved that I have finished everything and I feel liberated because I will finally be able to live my life without being tied to any deadlines.” Final for publication.
But while announcing his “retirement from drawing stories,” the godfather of the manga story that was first published in 1981 in the Japanese weekly “Shonen Jump” magazine indicated that he would continue to create adventures for football stars in his online story, in the form of story outlines.
The series has been adapted over the past decades in many forms, in anime and video games, and even inspired statues in the neighborhood where Takahashi was born in Tokyo.
The exploits of “Captain Majid” also inspired childhood football legends, such as Zinedine Zidane, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi.
The animated series was broadcast in more than 100 countries, while its story format has sold about 90 million copies worldwide, according to the specialized “Mangazenkan” website.
But in January, the 63-year-old artist announced that the series would end in April, attributing this to the deterioration of his health and the development of the manga industry.
“It was not easy to make this decision, which may disappoint and sadden those who enjoy reading Captain Tsubasa, but I hope you understand my decision,” he wrote in a letter to readers.
However, on Wednesday he tried to reassure his fans by indicating that he intends to continue his “creative activities.” “Captain Tsubasa’s story is not over yet! This is a fact,” he wrote.
“Since I no longer have deadlines, page count, or manuscript size to adhere to, I believe I can entertain you more freely,” Takahashi promised followers.
